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Abstract:

Information equipment arranged in an elevator shaft generates shaft
information with respect to movement of an elevator cage in the elevator
shaft, wherein a code arranged at a hanging cable and readable by means
of a reader provides information for generation of the shaft information.
The hanging cable conducts energy and signals to the elevator cage and
signals from the elevator cage to an elevator control and at the same
time serves as a carrier for the code for generation of the information.

Claims:

1. An elevator device comprising: a cable for conducting energy to an
elevator cage and for carrying signals between the elevator cage and an
elevator control, the cable having a code on it; and a reader for reading
the code as the elevator cage moves in a shaft.

2. The elevator device of claim 1, the code comprising a plurality of
code patterns distributed over length of the cable.

5. The elevator device of claim 2, the plurality of code patterns being
separated from each other over the length of the cable by a defined
spacing.

6. The elevator device of claim 1, further comprising a guide device for
the cable, the guide device being couplable to the elevator cage.

7. An elevator method, comprising: moving an elevator car in a shaft, the
elevator car being coupled to a hanging cable, the hanging cable having a
code on it; and using a reader, reading the code from the hanging cable
while the elevator car moves in the shaft, the reader being positioned on
the elevator car.

8. The elevator method of claim 7, further comprising generating shaft
information based on the read code.

9. The elevator method of claim 7, the moving the elevator car in the
shaft being performed during a learning travel.

10. The elevator method of claim 7, further comprising reconstructing
stored information in a dirtied or damaged portion of the code based on
information from a learning travel.

11. The elevator method of claim 10, further comprising logging a
maintenance report.

12. An elevator installation, comprising: an elevator cage disposed in a
shaft; a cable coupled to the elevator cage for carrying signals between
the elevator cage and an elevator control, the cable having a code on it;
and a reader for reading the code as the elevator cage moves in the
shaft, the reader being coupled to the elevator cage.

13. An elevator cable comprising: a signal cable for carrying signals
between an elevator cage and an elevator control; and a code arranged on
the signal cable.

[0003] Equipment for generation of shaft information in an elevator shaft
has become known from the specification US 2006/0118364 A1. A strip
extending over the shaft height serves as a carrier for a code. At least
one reader is arranged at an elevator cage movable in the shaft and reads
the code during movement over the strip. The reader generates therefrom a
signal which reflects the position of the elevator cage in the elevator
shaft and which is passed on by means of a hanging cable to the elevator
control. Mounting of the strip can be costly in terms of material and
working hours and can require additional space in the elevator shaft.

SUMMARY

[0004] In at least some embodiments, an information system can be
constructed without additional working hours and without additional
material apart from a reader. In further embodiments, the information
system does not need any additional space in the elevator shaft. The code
needed for the generation of information can be mounted at the factory or
on site at a hanging cable. The hanging cable conducts energy and signals
to the elevator cage and signals from the elevator cage to the elevator
control and at the same time serves as a carrier for the code for the
generation of the information.

[0005] When the information device is placed in operation a learning
travel is performed and the hanging cable or the code is read by means of
a reader arranged at the elevator cage and the thus-obtained information
is stored. If in the course of operation the code is dirtied or damaged,
the information equipment can reconstruct the failed code by means of the
stored information and, for example, log a fault report or a maintenance
report. In operation, the elevator cage travels up and down, wherein in
each instance the hanging cable, which is travelled over, or the code,
which is travelled over, at the hanging cable is detected by means of the
reader and the position of the elevator cage determined. Monitoring
functions can also be undertaken by the information device and by the
code, The code can, for example, contain information relating to excess
speed of the elevator cage or information relating to deviation of the
elevator cage from the story level at a story stop or information
relating to travel beyond the shaft end, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure is explained in more detail by way of the
accompanying figures, in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 shows an elevator cage 2 movable in an elevator shaft 1. The
elevator cage 2 is guided along guide rails, which are not illustrated. A
hanging cable 3 conducts energy and signals to the elevator cage 2 and
signals from the elevator cage 2 to an elevator control 2.1. The hanging
cable 3 usually consists of a flat, strip-like casing which encloses a
plurality of mutually adjacent electrical conductors. Other forms of
hanging cable on which a code can be mounted are also possible, for
example a cable with a semi-circular cross-section.

[0015] An information device 4 generates shaft information, which is used
by a control device for control of the cage movement and the cage
position and/or the counterweight movement and/or the counterweight
position. The shaft information comprises, for example, the speed and/or
the position in the elevator shaft 1 of the elevator cage 2 and/or of a
counterweight. The information device 4 in the illustrated example
consists of at least one reader 5 and at least one code 6 arranged at the
hanging cable 3, as is shown in FIG. 2. The hanging cable 3 is fastened
at one end to a fixing point 7 and at the other end to the elevator cage
2. The hanging cable 3 is guided by means of a guide device 8 arranged at
the elevator cage 2. During movement of the elevator cage 2 the hanging
cable 3 or the code 6 moves smoothly, with lateral stability and at a
constant spacing past the reader 5.

[0016]FIG. 2 shows the code 6 arranged at the hanging cable 3. The code 6
consists of two-dimensional code patterns 2D, which are arranged in a
first track 9 and in a second track 10. The code 6 can, for example, be
glued, printed or lasered onto the hanging cable 3.

[0017]FIG. 3 shows details of the code 6 which is shown in FIG. 2 and
consists of code patterns. Each code pattern consists of a checkered
arrangement of fields, wherein each field is black or white depending on
the respective information content of the code pattern. The reader 5 can
recognize the image from black and white fields and determine the
information content therefrom. A first code pattern at the hanging cable
3 is denoted by a1, for example the lowermost code pattern at the
hanging cable 3 when the elevator cage 2 has travelled downwardly
slightly beyond the lowermost story. A second-to-last code pattern is
denoted by an-1, for example a second-to-uppermost code pattern of
the hanging cable 3, and a last code pattern is denoted by an, for
example an uppermost code pattern of the hanging cable 3, when the
elevator cage 2 has travelled upwardly slightly beyond the uppermost
story.

[0018] The code patterns 11 to an are different because each
code pattern has a different information content. Included in the
lowermost code pattern a1 and in the uppermost code pattern an
is or are, for example, the position of the code pattern and/or
information for triggering an emergency stop. Door positions can also be
included in the code patterns. The code patterns between the lowermost
code pattern a1 and the uppermost code pattern an are arranged
at the hanging cable 3 at a specific spacing DS from the adjacent code
pattern and include at least one item of information with respect to the
respective position of the code pattern a1 . . . an or form a
readable scale, which extends over the travel path of the elevator cage
2, in code form.

[0019] The information with respect to the position of the code pattern
can also be present twice in each code pattern a1 . . . an,
once for travel of the elevator cage 2 in upward direction and once for
travel of the elevator cage 2 in downward direction.

[0020]FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a code 6 with one-dimensional code
patterns 1D. Each code pattern consists of a readable barcode. The
explanations with respect to the code patterns of FIG. 3 also apply to
the code patterns of FIG. 4.

[0021] A code 6 with only one track is also possible. A certain degree of
redundancy is nevertheless provided, because the reader 5 has at the same
time more than one code pattern in focus. If a code pattern is dirtied or
damaged or unreadable for other reasons, the information content of the
unreadable code pattern can be reconstructed or reproduced from the
adjacent code patterns. In addition, a fault report or a maintenance
report can be generated and logged.

[0022] If the elevator cage 2 is located at the top in the elevator shaft
1 the length of the hanging cable 3 at the cage side is large and the
length of the hanging cable at the shaft wall side is small. If the
elevator cage 2 is located at the bottom in the elevator shaft 1 the
length of the hanging cable 3 at the cage side is small and the length of
the hanging cable at the shaft wall side is large. The length of the
hanging cable 3 at the shaft wall side and thus the length of the hanging
cable 3 at which the reader 5 reads the code 6 changes depending on the
respective position of the elevator cage 2. Depending on the respective
length of the elevator cable 3 on the shaft wall side this hanging cable
section stretches to a greater or lesser extent, which has a direct
influence on the accuracy of the code 6 in terms of position. However,
the influence of the stretching on the accuracy in terms of position is
small. For example, in the case of a shaft height of 40 meters the
difference is approximately 2.5 millimeters. The difference is
independent of the cage load and can, for example, be measured in the
case of a learning travel with respect to the door position of the
lowermost story door. The influence of the stretching on the measurement
accuracy can also be subject to computerized correction in that a
computed length change can be additionally added to the measured
position.

[0023] The same applies to the speed of the elevator cage 2. However, the
stretching of the hanging cable 3 produces merely a negligible difference
in the speed of the elevator cage 2.

[0024]FIG. 5 shows details of the guide device 8 for guidance of the
hanging cable 3 during the movement of the elevator cage 2. As is shown
in FIG. 1, the guide device 8 is arranged at the elevator cage 2 in the
vicinity of the reader 5. During movement of the elevator cage 2 the free
hanging cable 3 or the code 6 moves smoothly, with lateral stability and
at constant spacing past the reader 5. A guide shoe 11 arranged at the
elevator cage 2 guides, by a first free limb 11.1 and a second free limb
11.2, the hanging cable 2 past the reader 5.

[0025] The guide shoe 11 according to FIG. 5 can also be used if the
hanging cable 3 is connected in the middle of the elevator shaft 1 at a
second fixing point 12 with, for example, a shaft wall 13. The hanging
cable 3 fits in a profile member 14 arranged at the shaft wall 13 and is
fixed at the profile 14 by a mount 15 secured to the profile member 14.
The mount 15 can be, for example, a yoke fitting between two code
patterns or a transparent cover fitting on the profile member 14.

[0026]FIG. 7 shows a guide device 8 in which the hanging cable 3 is
laterally guided over the entire shaft height by means of a U-shaped
profile member 16. The guide shoe 11 embraces the U-shaped profile member
16 by the free limbs 11.1 and 11.2 and helps ensure that the hanging
cable 3 does not leave the U-shaped profile member 6.

[0027]FIG. 8 shows a guide shoe 11 in which the free limbs 11.1, 11.2
together with the web 11.3 form an eye in which the hanging cable 3 is
guided all round. This form of guidance is independent of the shaft wall,
but may not be suitable if a second fixing point 12 is provided centrally
of the shaft.

[0028] Having illustrated and described the principles of the disclosed
technologies, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the
disclosed embodiments can be modified in arrangement and detail without
departing from such principles. In view of the many possible embodiments
to which the principles of the disclosed technologies can be applied, it
should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only examples
of the technologies and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the
invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the following
claims and their equivalents. We therefore claim as our invention all
that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.